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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · field · ground · coach · fork · bear · club · shower

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. shower — rain
  8. field — for sport
  9. club — for golf
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ground — a position
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fork — in a road
  15. club — a group
  16. ground — crushed
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bear — the animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. field — farmland
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com